Vernon WadeThere are lots of cooks out there who actually know what they are doing. I pretty much taught myself to cook, out of necessity. I haven’t a clue most of the time, but I do love to eat. 

I have made everything posted here. If I can do it, you certainly can. Someday, if there is enough interest, I will gather all these recipes into a cookbook. In the meantime, in the spirit of dashes, dollops and three-fingered pinches, I present them here for you to try. Let me know what you think.

Plaki with lobster mushrooms over rice pilaf

Plaki is a Greek fish casserole. This is another very flexible recipe: essentially any seafood available with whatever vegetables and mushrooms which may be in season, baked in a tomato sauce, and served over rice or bulgur pilaf.

Ingredients:

    • Rockfish (any fish will do)
    • Scallops (or not)
    • lobster mushrooms chopped (any mushroom will work, lobsters are particularly good with seafood)
    • 3-4 clams (any shellfish will do)
    • 3-4 mussels (or shrimp, or crab, or not)
    • 14 oz can diced tomatoes (fresh tomatoes are also good)
    • 3 oz tomato paste
    • carrots, celery, sunchokes, zucchini, all sliced thin (string beans or just about anything from the garden is good)
    • 1 lobster mushroom, chopped
    • 1 red onion chopped (green onions, leeks or shallots would do as well)
    • 1 lemon sliced into wheels

Sauté sliced onion and lobster mushrooms in olive oil, add 1 can tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, sliced vegetables, green beans, salt, pepper and herbs, 1/2 cup water and cook uncovered until veggies are tender and liquid somewhat reduced(about 25 minutes).

If the seafood needs any prep, do it while the sauce is cooking.

Top with fish and seafood, arrange lemon slices around fish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, serve over rice or pilaf.